Anti-Chinese Violence at King and South Seventh
Two young men, intoxicated and looking for trouble, brutally assaulted two Chinese laborers in a targeted act of racist violence.
On Decoration Day, Reuben Helms and William Jones, two young men 19 years old, neither of whom bear a savory reputation, imbibed freely of Washington Street 'knock out drops' and went forth to thrash the town. The first people they met were two inoffensive 'washee' Chinamen at the corner of King and South Seventh, with sheets over their arms on their way to 'catcher Melican man closee.' Young Jones knocked the first Chinaman down, and when the second, whose name was Woo Bong You, attempted to remonstrate with them in broken English, young Helms said: 'There is no policeman in sight. Let's knock hell out of them.' Before Woo Bong You knew what had struck him his pig tail was waving wildly in the air, his hat flying in one direction, and his sheet in the other, and he landed on his back across the railroad track. The young men, not content with this knock out blow, followed it up. Officer Milford attempted to arrest Jones and Helms just after the assault, but they tore away from him and made their escape.
“There is no policeman in sight. Let's knock hell out of them.”
This incident reflects the pervasive anti-Chinese violence that plagued Seattle in the late 19th century. The casual nature of the assault and the perpetrators' attempt to evade justice by fleeing into the woods underscores the lack of protection afforded to the Chinese community during this era.
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